democracy is about and capital system about. you can work hard and move forward and move the next generation forward. that has been the american dream since the beginning. certainly something i think romney can go out and articulate. his life wasn't successful. even though his father was a governor. he went out as became a very successful businessman, successful governor. athletes going to the lemm picks. they may have had coaching and water in the pool but the phelps in the world that spent thousands of hours swimming that made them. bill: phelps had a road to get him to the auditorium as you know. sarcasm to the side, you know cycles flip every two hours. to have a news cycle for bain, bain, bain, for a week. does this firmly change that? >> this is a pivot point. the president and his team go back to the fundamental belief if you've done well in america you have done something unfair.

instead of applauding saying this is what we have to do to get americans back to work, we have to encourage the small business owner to work harder and employ people, that's what we're about. that is what we celebrate every day. that is what we sell operate the coming weeks. bill: ed, let me pause you for a moment. i want to take viewers back to a little bit what was said last friday in virginia. here's the president. >> if you've been successful, you didn't get there on your own. you didn't get there on your own. i'm always struck by people who think, must be because i was just so smart. there are a lot of smart people out there. bill: take us into the mind frame for a comment like that. white house would come out and argue and i imagine they will government has a purpose and that was the point the president was trying to make. the point you're making this goes back to his days a as community organizer. explain that. >> well, i think in essence when you're a community organizer you're basically dealing with a lot of people disadvantaged you're trying to get them government

assistance or welfare checks or whatever and the other part of the story though is that people who are creating jobs are getting up every day and going to work and working very, very hard. this should be a campaign celebrating the american worker. his story in itself is successful story. bill: president obama. >> president obama. i think to certain extent but reflect as mindset. it is the mindset the contrast between what romney and his campaign will be about. we can again become a great leader of the world as we always have been. we can get americans back to work again. we don't need government to create jobs. we need americans to create jobs and small business in particular. bill: thank you. ed rollins in new york. let me show viewers comments made by governor romney and why this is important in november. go back to 2008 in the map. pennsylvania went blue and democrat easily for president obama, 55-44 over john mccain. hear is the map. this is where president obama did so well, the blue counties around the east in philadelphia. the western half of the

state is primarily red. that is where john mccain was so successful. this is pittsburgh. the comments made by governor romney so the southeast, westmoreland county. you see the red in all these county? that is mccain territory in 2008. romney wants to drive up suburban voters around pittsburgh and rural voters in western pennsylvania in order to counter what president obama will see in the urban areas, city areas, that will be successful on the democratic side. watch that storyline as we go forward over what 110 days, some odd? pretty close. martha? martha: thanks, bill. governor romney bringing his campaign offensive to the critical swing state of ohio today. the buckeye state voted for the eventual winner in the last eight presidential elections. it is a very good barometer, folks. no republican condition date has ever won the presidency without winning ohio and it will likely be close once

again. back in 2008 less than 300,000 votes separated president obama from his republican opponent, then john mccain that is 4.5% of all of the votes cast. bill: meanwhile president obama inveiling a new billion dollar program to promote better education. president obama proposing reward system for high-performing teachers under a plan that would create a core of elite master instructors in science and in math. the billion dollar program will reward teachers with a $20,000 per year increase in their salary. six minutes now past the hour. martha: as washington continues to spend, listen to this. there is a new report out that finds that the fiscal crisis in many states in this country could indeed be with us for quite some time. even long after the economy starts to rebuild itself. so right now you've got 31 states that are projecting budget gaps for 2013. slow job growth that cuts into the taxes that states

can collect. 18 states have an unemployment rate that is above 8% which is the national average. and in the most recent state jobs report, unemployment spiked compared to the month before in 18 states. so a very tough state level economy a what we're looking at right here. stuart varney joins me now as he often does almost every morning anchor of "varney & company" on the fox business network. stuart, you know this has been simmering for a long time. the issues the states are dealing with. then the municipalities under that. it is really coming to a forefront and being exposed in this new report. >> that is precisely what is happening. this a warning, a dire warning if you will coming from some of the biggest names in the financial world. the warning is this, states are in crisis. they're in crisis now. it's bad now and it's probably going to get worse. and the real situation, the state financial situation, has been covered up because of obscure budgetary details

and financial gimmickry. we are all paying the price for this squeeze at the state level. class sizes are getting bigger. police forces being cut. hospitals closing. courts clogged. services are being cut because we've made promises to pay benefits and medicaid costs and we can not afford to keep those promises. it is medicaid. it is pensions that are at the very center of this problem which is bad, and getting worse. martha: so, i mean it puts states in a position where they need to face the music and need to renegotiate pension deals going forward. fiscal responsibility seems to be the, something everybody understands that we need to do but as you point out, either do that or you suffer these other consequences like large class sizes and closing hospitals right? >> the crunch is here. basically many states have just run out of money. so they're going to cut services even more. or, cut into the pensions

which they promised to pay retired public workers. if you left this issue to the voters, and in two california cities voters did make this choice, they want to cut those pensions. in some cases you can not do that legally but in san jose and san diego, in california, that's what the voters said they wanted to do. they already had services cut to the bone. now they say it is time to cut those pensions. this essentially, this is a warning, a dire warning from a blue chip panel that says states are in financial crisis and it is going to get worse. that is a big deal on a national scale because we already got budget problems in washington, d.c. at the federal level. martha: then you've got health care which pushes back health care on the states which many said they simply can not stomach. stuart, we'll see you soon on "varney & company". bill: we have this today too. no more big bonuses at the scandal-plagued general services administration, gsa

you remember pictures like this, right? former commissioner jeff neely having a great time in vegas. it was on company time. seen loaninging at a bathtub at a agency getaway. came under fire for lavish conferences do you think? he was forced out. gsa is cutting senior executive bonus by 85% and instituting a temporary hiring freeze. martha: we've got a fox news alert right now. there are breaking developments this morning out of syria and they are serious the country's defense minister reportedly has been killed in a suicide bomb attack. it happened early this morning and happened in a way we've not seen in this conflict. at the national security building, in the capital of damascus, a huge suicide bomb explosion. several military officials were also wounded. the capital has seen four straight days of clashes between government troops and the rebels there. coming up a bit later we'll get you an update on all this. we'll talk to general jack

keen about the violence swirling out of control in the country. what does it mean for the leadership of syria and possible reaction from the united nations and from other countries. bill: from what we understand assad was not present for this cabinet meeting in damascus. we'll work through that. martha: his brother-in-law was there. the defense minister was there. bill: the room was crowded. we're just getting started now. guess who is back on the hill? former vice president dick cheney. what he said behind closed doors. we have the inside view on washington for that. martha if. martha: serious new questions arising about security at the airport after a murder suspect hops a fence, steal as commercial plane. we'll tell you what happened right after that. bill: my. a strong warning from the head of the federal reserve on the state the u.s. economy. it is not positive. why ben bernanke says congress must act sooner rather than later. senator john thune on that in moments. listen. >> i've been assigned to do, to focus on maximum

employment and price stability, not to hold threats over congress's head. congress is in charge here, not the federal reserve. are you receiving a payout from a legal settlement or annuity over 10 or even 20 years? call imperial structured settlements. the experts at imperial can convert your long-term payout into a lump sum of cash today. @ stayfocus lolo, focus.ya. let's do this. i am from baltimore.

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martha: some tense moments for sure as a burglary suspect steal as police car in ohio. watch this columbus police open fire on a man suspected after he takes off in a police cruiser. the man was one of two suspects who was wanted in connection with a violent break-in at an apartment. the suspect busted after he crashed into another apartment building. oh, that is a happy scene, right? one man identified as an apartment resident was shot and killed in this situation. it is not yet known if the person who was shot and killed by the police or by the suspect. they're still working out a lot of what happened on that very difficult scene out there. the other suspect who got away, still at large at this hour. bill: take the keys away, right? the fate of the u.s. economy in the hands of congress.

that is what the federal reserve chairman ben bernanke is now warning. he says lawmakers must act as looming tax hikes and spending cuts threaten to drive the u.s. over a fiscal cliff. >> the fiscal decision should take into account the fragility of the recovery. that recovery could be endangered by the confluence of tax increases and spending reductions that will take effect early next year if no legislative action is taken. bill: that warning was stern. john thune, chairman of the republican conference. good morning to you, senator and welcome back. >> good morning. bill: i imagine what he said did not surprise you. what rang true? what was his bottom line warning? >> i think he said two things, bill. he said what will impact, first off he said the economy is slowing. we're not creating as many jobs not even enough to keep up with population growth. what is causing that of course is the drama in europe. and secondly the fiscal cliff which we don't disagree with. the fiscal cliff is a very

real issue that is impacting our economy not only next year but this year. according to the congressional budget office it could cost us 1.3% of the economic growth in the first six months of next year. what is interesting about it, however, there are all the stories here of late. there was a "washington post" story on sunday and headline read something to the effect the democrats threaten to the take the economy over the fiscal cliff if republicans won't raise taxes. and what they're essentially saying is, they're willing to hold the economy hostage to get tax increases. and to me is incredibly irresponsible and alarming. the fiscal cliff needs to be dealt with. we need the economy to provide certainty. we need to extend tax rates and not increase taxes and a million small businesses which is what their proposal would do. bill: well, he said a lot of things yesterday. you referred to a little bit of it. he said modest growth in the economy has weakened. manufacturing has slowed down. he talked about consumer spending less. one group says if you do not

get this solved by the first of the year we could lose two million jobs come 2013. i don't see congress allowing that to happen. what i see is something being worked out. how is it resolved then? be it now or the end of december? >> the way it should be resolved, bill, in the house of representatives will vote next week on extending the tax rates. january 1st, we have this massive tax increase hit the american people. and in the cbo, the congressional budget office, as you said, all these other analysts, chairman bernanke said this yesterday, if we don't do something about that it will lead to an economic slowdown, in his judgment and judgement of the congressional budget office, perhaps a recession. we shouldn't be willing to plunge the economy into recession simply because we can't agree here on what we're going to do with regard to taxes. what we ought to do is provide certainty. extend rates next year and hopefully get into a debate to reform the tax code. we need to extend the tax rates for everyone.

bill: i understand the point you're making how many senate democrats would vote for that now? do you have a number? >> it is hard to say. there is lot of pressure coming from the white house. they don't want to extend rates more than $250,000 a year which affect as million small businesses. i think there will be democrats available on the vote simply because people will recognize as time goes on how critical it is to address the fiscal cliff. we want allow taxes to go up next year. bill: you went to romney headquarters. how did that conversation go up there. >> those discussions were sometime ago. i had conversations with members of governor romney's staff. i've been involved with with the campaign from the very early stages and i'm encouraged. i think we've got a great shot at winning. bill: i know you're on a short list too. you probably would not deny that either. did you get a sense his team is close to making a decision about a vice-presidential pick? or do you think they have already made up their mind,

or he has? >> i think the only person who really knows that is governor romney and perhaps a few close advisors. that is their timing. their decision. i think everybody will, when that time comes he will make a good choice. we will all support it and get out and actively campaign for the ticket this fall. we have to. the stakes are too high. we need new leadership in the white house if we're going to turn the country around. bill: thanks for coming back today. i didn't think we would get much more from the vp question than that. talk to you soon. martha. martha: two young entrepreneurs reacting to the president's remarks on success in america and they say that the government didn't build their lemonade stand. watch. >> so did you make any profit for lemonade day? >> yes. a lot. >> we actually made enough to pay our investors back in full. martha: really? ahead some private sector wisdom from a small business owner. bill: i'm liking it, right? new security measures after airline passengers

chomp down on needles in their in-flight meals. what is up with that? >> i bit down on it so i wasn't biting on the sharp side but the flat side.

bill: so, now we hear delta air lines boosting its meal prep security. passengers on board several different delta flights leaving amsterdam headed for the u.s. found needles in their turkey sandwiches on board. >> i bit down on it so i wasn't biting down on the sharp side but on the flat side. it could have been, you know, a bad injury, orally but had i taken a big swallow and swallowed that down, i would have a needle inside. that would be very concerning to me. >> you get on these 10-hour flights and you want nice food and stuff. you don't want to be chewing

and finding a needle. i'm a little alarmed especially this could get through delta, i'm sure they have some security or something. it was definitely alarming when we found out about it the airline wouldn't even tell us something had been going on. just to keep our eyes out just in case. that was a little nerve-wracking. bill: sandwiches are prepped by gate gourmet, which is one of the world's largest airline caterers. they have facilities on five different continents including holland. the fbi and dutch authorities investigating that. martha: we want to get you to the weather right now because we've got a extreme weather alert happening. we're keeping an eye on a severe weather threat developing from indiana all the way to the northeast. damaging winds, lightning, concerns about large hail are out there right now. our meteorologist maria molina is tracking this for us. she is in the fox extreme weather center. what is going on, maria? >> good to see you today,

martha. we extended area that could see severe weather to illinois, iowa and state of missouri. a large stretch of the country could see strong to severe storms. we already have activity across the today coats, minnesota into the great lakes. we're not looking at major weather risk right now. it will be later this afternoon and this evening when we get day time heating and start to see some stronger storms firing up. new york city, philadelphia, you're in the gun too as far as one of areas that could see strong to severe storms that could produce large hail, damaging wind gusts from those storms. that will be later on this afternoon. by tomorrow we'll continue to see another risk for severe weather. a little more localized across indiana, iowa, kentucky and eastern portions of the state of illinois and the reason why we're seeing the severe weather risk is we have a cold front that is pushing southward and will bring in slightly cooler temperatures. already seeing some slightly cooler temperatures across new england. still on the hot side for new york city, philadelphia, d.c.

by tomorrow only in the 70s in new england. tomorrow's high in new york city will be 89. by friday, only in the low 70s. martha: get ready to pull out the sweatshirts. thank you, maria. >> thanks. martha: a little change of pace around here. bill: we'll take that. the hire dryer out there. it is july. we were complaining in the winter. so we're not going to complain now. martha: walk out of the house at 5:00 in the morning and like, whoa. bill: hang in there folks. it won't last forever. we told i about how more than two million jobs could be lost in automatic spending and defense cuts kick in at the end of this past year. listen to the small business owner says she will lose big too right before she speaks to congress. she talks to us today. martha: we'll talk about a city so deep in the red they have declared a state of emergency like when you have a hurricane or something, something usually they reserve for natural disasters of course. but the mayor has taken drastic action. how can they do that? we'll be back after this.

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a two-step process that removes even coarse, stubborn facial hair gently. plenty of gain, without all that pain... with olay. bill: guess who was back on capitol hill? former vice president dick cheney. he once served as secretary of defense. he raised the alarm of massive defense defense

budget cuts. >> speaking on behalf of maintaining the nation's defenses. obviously i think that capability is threatened by the prospect of a sequester. i think we need to avoid that and i'd like to seed administration more aggressive than they have been. they haven't done anything today. leon panetta is the only voice i hear. bill: peter doocy is in washington. he was up sited to the hill, cheney was. what was his message? >> reporter: basically that any defense cuts need to be strategic, bill, and not budget-driven. the former vice president says since the pentagon already agreed to cut more than half a trillion dollars in the sequester essentially doubles that, these cuts aren't strategic. he says they're crazy and his message was heard loud and clear by republicans on the hill. >> he had a word of caution and admonition and we need to be very, very careful about mission readiness if

the sequestration happens. he was very clear and compel pelling. >> he was able to tell us talking about the people around the world heading up these other countries and our loss of influence. >> reporter: someone else who was in the meeting with the former vice president told us one of his final points that the world works when the united states is providing leadership politically, militarily and economically. bill: peter, do democrats disagree with any of that? >> reporter: bill, some democrats don't believe cheney's visit to the hill was motivated by his love of country. senate majority leader harry reid said that cheney used to work for halliburton an energy company. halliburton did well while he was vp. so he wants the military to be strong to protect their interests abroad. something else reid said. time to stop ignoring the other half of automatic cuts, the half that would take away from programs here at home. >> press tends to focus that

the sequester is one-sided vehicle. that is only dealt with defense. that is not true. you fail to mention there is big cuts for domestic programs also. >> reporter: and two million jobs might be lost over 10 years, if this $1.2 trillion sequestration kicks in. that is according to a new report commissioned by the aerospace industries association. bill: peter, thank you. peter doocy watching that story from washington. thank you, peter. martha: so now these proposed defense cuts that we're talking about would affect more than just our military readiness of course. one small business owner testifying today before the house armed services committee. that will happen in the next hour. she is set to explain the effects of these cuts on her company. her name is della williams. she is the ceo of williams pyro. her company manufactures test equipment for weapons systems. she is he have iting to put a face and a name on the impact of these cuts. mrs. williams, welcome.

good to have you here this morning. >> good morning, martha. good to be here. martha: what would be the impact of these cuts? we talked a lot about military readiness but it will have effect on companies like yours. what would be the impact on your company? >> yes, ma'am, it will affect us greatly. we're already seeing a slowdown on contracts. contracts not being funded. we were working on particular items that funds have just frozen up and it will have a huge impact. i do a lot of our own research and development. i fund it myself. and, i'm very concerned that all of this is going to come to a halt because i'm not going to be able to afford these. engineers and the people that support this particular area in my business because, they're very talented people. they're very qualified people. they have gone, they have engineering degrees.

some of them even master's and higher degrees. so it will impact us severely. martha: what do say to those who, we were listening to harry reid. the sequester will impact discretionary and nondiscretionary programs in the u.s. government. what do you say to those in the defense industry well, there are areas they could cut back and be leaner and be more efficient. what do you say to that? >> well, i would not agree with that at all. i mean i think that, that is abs slautly not true that because of yes, there has been some waste, but at the same time we're leaving ourselves vulnerable. we're going to lose the keepabilities of these people that have worked in the defense industry. just as we have seen that there are no longer the tool and die makers and the

various people that were trained, aerospace workers and what have you, they will be leaving the industry and we won't be able to get that back. we won't be able to flip a switch and turn it back on. it just won't happen. martha: you would have to have layoffs in your company as a result of this? >> yes, ma'am. and i don't want to do that because i have people who have familis. you know, children, how are you going to sit at the table and tell your child, i lost my job today. we have, you know, our suppliers that are showing that they are very concerned about what is happening. they're calling us up now. we've never seen this before. where they're calling us up and saying, hey, do you see anything on the horizon? do you see anything that is coming down the pike? what's happening here? and they are so concerned. martha: you know, before i let you go, you founded this company. it is an extraordinary success story. >> yes.

martha: and you started it back in the '60s. >> thank you. martha: basically shepherded it into the company it has become. i'm curious what you think about the president's comments about entrepreneurs that started their own business, all they they they think they're smart and they have to recognize that they didn't get there on your own. what do you think about that. >> i didn't see those people down there when i was down there at night, weekend as holidays, i had my children with a nanney working night and day. i never saw those people. way on a very busy thorough fare. my building was visible. no one ever came like that. so i totally disagree. martha: della williams, thank you. very nice to have you with us today. >> thank you. martha: good luck with your testimony on capitol hill. we'll see where all this goes. >> thank you so much. bill: so that lesson is spreading with two very young entrepreneurs. 7-year-old clara sutton and her 4-year-old sister, eliza

run their own lemonade stand you see. business is so good. so good they opened up their own facebook page and website. their proud father said the girls did it on their own. if they got help it was from the parents and not washington. >> you can make money that you can spend on something you really want. you can save it and share it by donating to charities. >> because what are the three things you do with money? >> spend, save, share. bill: hmm. the girls say they may buy a gift for one of their newest employees. that is their younger brother eric. business is so good. so it is booming. you need a sidewalk in order to extend up the lemonade stand. martha: someone put the sidewalk there for you. the girls couldn't make any money without the sidewalk built outside their house? is that what the message is? bill: got it. martha: thank you, little girls. it is hot out there and

everybody wants lemonade on a day like today. president obama is not going on the defensive. is now going on the defensive i should say over those controversial comments we've been talking about with our last guest and with the lemonade girls. will those remarks haunt his re-election campaign heading into november? we'll have a fair and balanced debate on the significance of those comments going forward. bill: former president bush out with a new book on jump-starting the economic engine. hmmm. timing right? what he says is the key to a robust recovery. this is $100,000.

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martha: 44 minutes past the hour right now. here are some headlines for you. the fda came out with an important regulation that impacts u.s. babies. the administration has prohibited the chemical bta in baby bottles and children's drinking cups. most manufacturers have already taken care of that. they already voluntarily stopped using bta quite a while ago. california wildlife officials capturing a 100

pound mountain lyne. only two years old. already weighing 100 pounds. a male. it forced them to shut down the park grounds. he was taken to an animal hospital. listen to this. online ticket scalpers trying to make a few bucks on the batman movie. they're marking them up as much as 80%. the average online asking price? $150 for a movie ticket? i don't know if anyone is paying that. bill: you want to see the opening night that is what you do. martha: we'll watch it here on the big screen right behind us. bill: or give it a couple years and every movie will be 150 bucks anyway the way prices are going up. will you see it? martha: uh-huh the looks pretty good. bill: check that out. christian bale. the guy is fierce. president obama firing back at accusations he is anti-business. critics pouncing on his comments that people depend on government for success when it comes to business and when it comes to their daily lives. >> there are some things we

do better together and. and we rise or fall as one nation. [applause] that's what i believe. that's what i our history tells us. that's what our future demands. bill: that was from austin, texas yesterday. let's debate it. tucker carlson, editor of "the daily caller". good morning to you. >> good morning. >>. bill: fox news contributor. alexis mcgill johnson. executive direct for for the american values institute. >> i'm well, bill, thanks. bill: my friend, tucker, i want to started with you. you know how the white house will explain this. the government has a role in everday lives of americans. that is the point the president was making. >> right. bill: mitt romney is jumping to the window of opportunity. is he doing it effectively? >> there are a number of sycophants in the press trying to make the case these lines were taken out of context. this was very clear and well-stated explanation of obama's government philosophy. individuals are nothing but

a part of group. all of us are dependent on the government for our livelihood and happiness. he agrees with this. some people will vote for him. if the romney campaign explains the ramifications of this, will be devastating moment with obama talking about people clinging to their guns and bibles. bill: devastating, huh? the comment from '08 was audio only. i guess the difference now, tucker, alexis to you on this, in the television age this was spoken on camera. what do you think about the comment about devastating? >> i hardly think this is devastating. this is the central issue of the campaign and how we're going to define who we elect to run the global economy in the next four years. now, i mean i think about many, many successful people who have retired over, over the many years and i have never heard a single one of them say, you know, i would like to thank myself when i'm done.

because you know what? they understand that they got there not just by the people around them but by the institutions that also support those people. so we depend on institutions and good institutions and good --. bill: your friends when they retire how many times they say i would like to thank washington for all the success they have made for me and paved the road in order for me to be successful? >> that is what we have to expand upon here, right? not just that teachers are, by themselves great people. we know that they're wonderful people. they're doing god's work in many ways but they also are tied to an education system that needs to invest in resources. they also need to get to work. they need good roads to drive on. so it is not, we need to be able to get people --. bill: we all need good roads to get to work this morning, tucker. i'm sure you would not be in that bureau in washington without a good road to get you there. did you salute capitol hill on your way in because of it?

the idea that success phil people ought to be grateful to washington, kind of hilarious. all of us are grateful to live in a country that affords us opportunity but in the end it is individual initiative that makes the difference. i don't think the president believes that. as i said a minute ago, there are people who agree with this governing philosophy. that is okay. they are natural obama voters. though will vote for the president in good conscience. that is great. i'm not attacking obama for this. i'm grateful he so clearly and directly to camera articulated what he believes. this is governing philosophy. if you like it vote for him. if you're repelled by it, then don't. bill: to that point, alexis, does it soak in and hurt the president? >> it doesn't hurt the president. bill: not at all? >> not at all. i think what happens there has been a larger attack around mitt romney, his experience at bain, his experience as governor of massachusetts and really his general disconnect with the american voter. and so, i don't think the american voter is going to look at mitt romney as someone who understands their experiences, who understands what it really

means to actually not have to worry about whether or not a bridge is failing and they can't get to work on time. he will --. bill: i'm sorry. there is such a disconnect with this. i don't now to understand it? you can, tucker, but it was all bain, bain, bain for 10 days. in a moment that turned around and really gave governor romney an opportunity here, and alexis, you're not going to stop hearing about this? that is my best guess at the moment. go ahead, tucker. what would you say. >> i would say two things very quickly. one a little much for the president to say we're in this all together when his campaign in effect an attack on a segment of american society. he is by definition dividing the country, right? and i guess, the second point i would make is that they're, this is wrong. i mean this is actually not true. we aren't spending the bulk of federal money on bridges and infrastructure. it is going to benefits for

mostly unionized public sector employees. that is not where the money goes. it doesn't go to infrastructure. >> we're spending money on defense. on things that keep us safe. bill: we'll hear more about this later today. when we do we'll react accordingly tomorrow. tucker, thank you. alexis, thanks to you as well. viewers at home, want to talk more about it, hemmer@foxnews.com. also twitter @billhemmer. we need one line. we'll get your questions on the air a little later. martha: it is in all of the blogs everywhere. we'll talk about that coming up later on in the show. meantime a major christian university is now set to file suit over the obama administration's birth control mandate. it is the first non-catholic entity to do that. we'll get it to you when it comes out. bill: a stolen plane. raises questions about airline security. how do you pull this one off? how easy is it to do it?

details on the developing story next

bill: hearing from former president george bush wading back into the political pool where the bush institute released its first book aimed at jump-starting the economy. mr. bush saying we will never fix the deficit without growing the private sector. former president talked about mostly about his trip to africa where he and his wife laura, the former first lady, worked on a clinic for women with hiv. >> i want the message to be it doesn't matter what your status in life is. you are never too proud to handle a paintbrush. i had more paint on me than the wall [laughing] bill: president bush did add he hopes governor romney wins in november. shocker. martha: frightening scene played out at an airport in

utah. police say that a man who is wanted in connection with a murder in colorado managed to steal a skywest jet from a small airport in southern utah. he crashed the plane and then took his own life. this incident though has raised some serious airport security concerns nationwide. anna kooiman is live on the story in our new york city newsroom. anna, a lot of concerns raised by this. >> reporter: oh, yeah. a pilot suspected of murder in colorado use ad rug to scale a razor wire fence in st. george, utah. that is 20 miles northeast of las vegas. gaining access to a empty 50 passenger skywest jet. it is unclear how 40-year-old brian hedge lynn slipped past security. though asked skywest to deactivate his access card on jewel this. that is the same day they found christina cornejo's body, his girlfriend of four

years stabbed multiple times. he was the key suspect but hadn't been charged though he was facing charges for harassing her. skywest put him on administrative leave the same day. they found a motorcycle identified as hedglin's. he clipped a wing and crashed into multiple cars in the parking lot. >> the first person who enter the plane was a skywest employee who accessed the plane above the cockpit. was able to shut it down. at that point officers entered into the side and encountered him deceased. he was not alive at any point. >> reporter: hedglin had a gunshot wound to the head. the airport fence is not observed at all time. a spokesman says he believes it is the same at airports across the country. we're working to get more information from the tsa. martha: thank you very much, anna kooiman. bill: we're awaiting a major hearing on the health care

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martha: a fox news alert on capitol hill right now. we are hearing about a confidential health and education bill. that bill includes massive cuts that would make it impossible to implement the health care law. that is the latest crack at that issue on the health side. that is how we get started with a brand-new our of "america's newsroom." it is great that you're with us, i am martha maccallum. bill: and i am bill hemmer great it would entirely choke off funding for the affordable care act. speak you stephen hayes is with us. there have been multiple efforts to derail this health care act in congress on the house side. this is just the latest one.

how does this work and you will have an effect? >> i think it will have about as much of it as any other wednesday. which is to not slow it very much. we are 16 weeks out from the election as of yesterday. anytime republicans are talking about health care, that is smart and a good thing for them. not just because of the potential impact on the u.s. economy obamacare, but because of health care itself. i think republicans would be wise to make it a center part of their argument against president obama. that being said, this effort in the house is not likely to go anywhere or have much of an impact. i don't think it is likely to get a ton of attention. martha: does it lay the groundwork, perhaps, for the elections and those who hope to bring, you know, more of the house and senate over to the public inside and secured the presidency? to lay the groundwork to say this is how will we would go about it if we had more leverage on capitol hill?

>> it does. if you talk to people on capitol hill, that is what they will tell you what republicans are engaged in right now. there are a number of different ways and approaches to start to dismantle obamacare if mitt romney was elected. this would be one of the ways, sort of the incremental approach that i think others would not have a more wholesale approach to start stripping it down from the roots, in effect, right away. but yes, that is the argument you hear from republicans. we want to show people how we are going to do this, if, in fact, we have the opportunity. martha: critics look and say they know this won't go anywhere and it will get shot down in the senate and the president would never sign such a bill if it did pass in the senate. why don't they are down to more productive work. on the other hand, you could look at the house republicans and say this is what they believe is the most important work they can do right now. >> sure. those same critics, and it is

the case that the house republicans have passed more than two dozen bills that they would believe would jumpstart small businesses. they have not been twiddling their thumbs. they have been doing things that many people believe would have a greater effect if they were to implement them. everyone understands from a political perspective, they are actually going to happen. this is what is happening on the senate side, too. you have the senate spend the better part of today's on the disclosure act. they understood it wasn't going to go anywhere either. this is what happens four months before you have a presidential election with a divided congress. martha: is defunding something that would work to derail the health care reform bill? >> yes, i think that is one approach to doing it. i think the most effective approach is to have this sort of bigger picture approach and do it all self rather than trying to do it otherwise. i think there are concerns from some if you talk to conservatives and libertarians -- if you start to suggest

defunding, you may leave in place certain aspects of obamacare that end up being as bad as the legislation if you don't like it. martha: we have a live shot on the left-hand side. bill: another hearing we are watching is federal reserve chairman ben bernanke is back for a second day of testimony with the house financial services committee. yesterday it was the senate. he painted a bleak economic picture. we will monitor the hearings and let you know what comes out of that. martha: i have noticed and you probably have too. when you fill up your gas tank, gas prices have been on the move. breaking down in recent weeks, but they are up about 5 cents in the past week. the average is $3.38, that is what i must've filled up my tank at last time.

the industry saying that is expected because we are headed to the heart of the summer driving season. they want to make a few extra cents off of each gallon at the pump. we are still well below the average that we saw last year at this time. it is a little bit sweeter. not triple digits when you fill up the tank. bill: coming with driving season red there is a growing debate over the use of drone aircraft by u.s. law enforcement. tomorrow, experts will testify in the on the issue for the house committee and homeland security. as people try to figure out that drones have made it into their neighborhoods, some are wondering how many are out there and who exactly is at risk? catherine herridge is on that story. what did you find out? >> thank you and good morning. fox news is still reviewing the records attached to the 125 drone certificates released by the faa through the destination act. they are armed with cameras and

not missiles. it is 10 inches high and 3 feet wide. the miami police department infusing a fark you 16 a micro vehicle. it can live for up to 40 minutes. they told fox that a number of documents this year, the sheer volume come in these documents have never been published before, bill. bill: you are seeing this move forward, will we see legislation on a? >> there are certainly concerns about the use of drones. there were recent reports that smaller drones can be hacked. a laptop computer is used to redirect the drones. all of this raises questions over their safety, security and who controls the data they collect. the electronics frontier foundation also questions the privacy implications. quoting the faa documents we received mainly address safety.

there are still many unanswered questions about the privacy applications of drones. those who support to mr. drones say they are extra eyes in the sky. bill: catherine herridge, thank you so much. martha: your fox extreme weather alert. governor of missouri has declared the entire state a disaster area. the worst and much of its history. while there are currently 26 states that are included in the areas that are suffering from these drought conditions, folks in hard-hit missouri say that their situation is one of the worst in memory. >> this has been the hottest, driest, summer that i can remember. my father says that the 1936 drought was drier.

but i was only two years old then. >> if you look at all the midwest, they are facing this unprecedented drought conditions that we haven't seen in nearly 120 years. >> most crops are covered by some sort of crop insurance. we will allow most of these folks to have the opportunity to make it through next year's. martha: president obama is expected to meet with the secretary of agriculture today to discuss the response of the government to that massive drought. bill: as missouri gets help with its drought, folks in colorado for dealing with dangerously contaminated drinking water. ash and debris from historic wildfires now getting into local reservoirs. the damage estimated at $450 million. those in charge at of water resources plants are facing a situation they have never faced before. >> i have never seen the reservoir and the peril it is in right now as far as the basin being threatened. it will fill up.

it will fill up with contaminants and things you would not be able to use. we would lose one of our major reservoirs. bill: they say more than 1000 pounds of stock had been dropped in the area to prevent contaminants from getting into the water. martha: new details this morning that are coming out on a man who is accused of shooting 17 people. inside a bar. look at this surveillance video of the man they believe is a suspect here. what made him do it? bill: also, a woman trying to take and wheelchair onto an escalator. shall we say unpleasant results? we will show you what happened on this unfortunate matter in a matter of moments. martha: and a city that is so deep in red ink, that its leaders have now declared a state of emergency. the mayor is under fire from union leaders for that matter.

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bill: we have more information about an alabama man accused in a shooting rampage that injured 17 people. forty-four years old, nathan van wilkins accused of walking into a tuscaloosa bar and spraying patients with an assault rifle. he later turned himself into police. the court documents show that he faces a number of personal and financial troubles. he filed bankruptcy three times in about 20 years. his wife of 16 years divorced in 2005. nathan van wilkins is charged with 18 counts of attempted murder. martha: city leaders in a nevada suburb are taking heat after

declaring north las vegas a disaster area. the mayor using a law that is aimed at natural disasters to try to fix the budget emergency that they are experiencing there. the union leaders are crying foul on that move. here's what they say. >> they are claiming a financial disaster, but they are using a natural disaster to try to break the contract. they support downsizing, outsourcing, privatization, combining of services. that is a typical right-wing philosophy. martha: let's talk about that. north las vegas has a 31 million-dollar budget hole for the fiscal years 2012 and 2013. the unemployment rate for me is at 14%. nearly 6% higher than the 8.2 national rate. the foreclosure rate in the area is three times higher than the national average. one in every 175 homes is underwater. north lost biggest manager --

north las vegas mayor is running out. martha: thank you for having me. how did you'd declare this a natural disaster? will you be able to make some changes? >> you know, we haven't cleared a natural disaster. we are declaring a national emergency. our city has been hit pretty hard. probably worse than any city in this nation from this economic downturn. we have the highest -- one of the highest unemployment rates in the nation. highest foreclosure rates. sales tax, revenue, and the state of nevada is down. tax revenue down 42%. it has hit us especially hard. we have asked our union for concessions to get through these tough times. we balanced our budget we are living within our means, we are paying all of our bills. but we have asked for our

employees through their unions to make concessions, which they have not been willing to do. martha: what kind of concessions were you asking them to make and what were they willing to do? >> we asked them to not take a cost of living raise and a uniform of allowance. we asked them to stay where they were salary wise. today, they are making the same amount that they made june 30. their salaries did not go down. but they were unwilling to for promote the cost of living raise and forgo their uniform allowance. martha: will some of them lose their jobs because of the measures you are now able to take under this legal fiscal emergency that you have employed >> the reason we took this fiscal emergency was to try to save jobs. the city council bylaw has the right to come under an emergency, to take care of the citizens health, safety and welfare. we also have the right under the provision, we believe, to extend portions of the contract.

actually, suspend those portions of the contract. we believe by suspending them we can save their jobs instead of having to lay them off. martha: they are not happy with that. what you think will make them happy? they don't want to have the concessions that you suggested before taking this matter. after taking this measure, now it sounds like things could be rougher for them than they believe. >> you know, they have asked us to make our citizens pay higher taxes, sell city hall, borrow money from our utilities fund so that we can pay for their razors. which, of course, we are not willing to do. it is a matter of asking them, our citizens are pulling together and we are working hard. our community is moving forward. we have a really positive attitude. it is a matter of getting their unions to come onboard to see the bigger picture and come together. martha: they are saying that you

are unionbusting and you are very right wing in the way of going about that. what is your reaction to that? >> it is interesting to balance a budget, live within your means, curtail excessive spending, and overtime over time to be responsible and responsive to the citizens. we call that the government. martha: we will see where it goes. you are in a situation that we have heard from other communities as well. mayor, thank you for coming with us on the show. >> thank you so much. bill: we should view this clip a few moments ago. the dangers of taking an escalator when you likely should not. what happened to this woman who tried to go through. she gave it a shot. not cool. martha: not a good situation. just over 100 days until education can play a major role in at least one state where voters say that fixing the schools could be the key to

getting our whole country back on track to we have kids that cannot read or write. i think it is time to get back to the basics with reading and writing and arithmetic. >> if you want to change the economy, tainted on educational level and the way that students are graduating from high school. change the way their thoughts are. are they going to go to college and do they even think about it ♪ don't our dogs deserve better then chicken meal

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speak to a wheelchair tumbledown the stairs in boston. not sure how she thought she would be able to successfully get up there. over the poor lady wins.

>> there she is. martha: i'm sorry, i don't mean to laugh. i hope she is okay. she is okay, isn't she? she walked down the stairs at the end of that, and that is just one of those things. it makes you wonder. bill: next time, the elevator, right? that is the obvious answer there. she looked like that. we are continuing with our voters series this morning. we take you to the state of new mexico. do you remember what happened in new mexico 12 years ago? in the election of 2000, george bush won the state by 370 votes. that was it. in 2004, he won it again, beating john kerry by about 6000 votes. it was the closest race in the country, which would seem to

make you think that new mexico would be a battleground state yet again. four years ago in 2008, president obama easily won the state by 15 points over john mccain. new mexico has an issue that is worse than almost every other state. that is the issue of education. we went to the county of sandoval county. a critical state county. how does education play in this? >> i have seen things that are just not right happening to our kids. reporter: this couple is fed up with the schools in sandoval county. transplants from the midwest, hoping for greater opportunity. they founded until four years ago. >> we have kids they can't read and write. i think it is time to get back to the basics with reading and writing and arithmetic. reporter: when the economy went under, the school that their 11-year-old daughter, emma, went downhill with it. >> you are now four months away

from the presidential election. who best can improve the school system in new mexico? >> that is a good question. reporter: she is a republican, but she says mitt romney has yet to win her vote. whoever does win will face a big challenge here. turning round a public school system that has failed by nearly every measure. education in new mexico has been a black eye for the entire state. high school graduation rates put new mexico 48 out of 50 in america today. at the eighth-grade level, math and reading scores are not much better. margaret ware is a retired teacher who is in the system from the inside out. her two grandchildren are in the system today. she's a democrat. i don't think the obama demonstration has really considered small, rural school districts, states like new mexico. reporter: this gentleman's

daughter will be in eighth grade next year. he believes the broken system is tied to a broken economy. >> if you want to change the economy, change the way students are graduating from high school. change the way their thoughts are. are they going to go to college and do they even think about that? reporter: sandoval county covers a huge area. whatever choice he makes in november, better day cannot come soon enough. >> in america, they tell us it is the best country out there. it probably is. i don't see anything better. but we are getting away from what is supposed to be america. bill: one of the individuals talked about improving the economy in order to improve education. a lot of people will talk about slashing budgets all across the country, a level of poverty that a lot of places have that

continue to hurt the schools. a big picture about what this assignment was about was people vote on education. suburban mothers all of the country. the issue is getting very little attention because the economy is so shoddy, and the issues of jobs are common. people will vote, and we will see that has if it has an impact board president obama or governor romney. martha: contracts have been a major issue in so many states across the country as people have been trying to improve the education system. a great story and a great look at voters. bill: we will have a little bit later today on "america live", a special report on that. sandoval county. speak to a developing story this morning. a major christian university has just filed suit against the white house area over mandates and health care overhaul. this is the first non-catholic college to do this. that is why it is big news

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is coming in and it is a challenge to the president's health care law. it is coming from a major christian university that is now set to file a lawsuit that challenges part of the law that mandates birth control coverage. this is the first non-catholic entity of this size to take this action. that is why it is a special note this morning. shannon bream joins me and has the details on it. reporter: it was filed by wheaton college. administrators say although they have different objectives than catholic leaders due to the hhs regulation for contraceptive coverage, it is the bigger principle that motivated the college to get involved. here is wheaton president. >> wheaton college is a protestant institution. our convictions on theological matters, our differences with roman catholicism are well

known. here is an area where we find common cause, and i think it highlights the formation that this is not a narrow sectarian issue. it is really a fundamental issue of religious liberty, which is one of the first freedoms guaranteed in the constitution. reporter: wheaton college not join the legal challenge with other colleges. this is a separate legal challenge. this new challenge, are they hoping this will bolster the effort? to they do. many believe that the religious groups and denominations again involved, the better. >> the question of religious liberty and not just for catholics, but also for people of other faiths, number two that the fight is not really about contraception. you will notice that president philip ryken even said evangelicals and catholics have differences on that point. but they, too, have difficulties

conscientious difficulties in complying with the law. >> these leaders say the folks from all different religious backgrounds, the jewish faith, muslim faith, christian faith, all should be concerned with an administration that would limit their religious faith. bill: not in this new political challenge over immigration. this time, in the president's hometown of chicago. the county of cook county. president obama's former chief of staff, now the mayor in chicago, has proposed an ordinance that runs counter to federal immigration policy. his message to illegals in his city is this. >> you have no criminal record? being part of a community is not account for you. we want to welcome you to the city of chicago. that is true for my grandfather on my mother's side and port my father when they came to chicago. bill: republicans accuse the obama administration of a double

standard since ensued arizona over its immigration efforts, but so far has not taken any action in illinois. arizona congressman ben quayle, member of the house and homeland security judiciary committee, he is from the state of arizona. how are you doing today? >> i am doing well. bill: you have a problem with this. what is the issue? >> the problem is it is a distinct double standard of what is going on. not just what mayor emmanuel has said, but the county has a policy that has been in place for 11 months that won't turn over terminal illegal aliens to i.c.e. for deportation. i.c.e. is notified homeland security and doj saying this is a big problem, but they won't take any actions against them. if you recall, very quickly, after arizona passed their immigration law, it actually follow the federal law, air --

eric holder and judge napolitano were speaking out and now they are quite as church mice. bill: what you are suggesting is that he will not take action? >> this is a little bit different. this is actually cook county. he is talking about in chicago. in cook county they are not turning over criminal illegal aliens that they are holding in their jails. because they are not complying with a secure community that took place in 2008. bill: they are more offensive in your view than the city? >> both are bad. it has not held federal law enforcement officers actually enforce federal laws. what is the good of having federal laws? this is actually, i think, just watching what the president has done, mayor emmanuel is just following his former boss and is playing into that whole role and is not the right thing to do for our country. bill: you have spoken to the head of the immigration customs enforcement agency. what is the position on this? >> we had director morten from our subcommittee on the border

last week. he said that he is actually brought this up to cook county and said that this is extraordinarily dangerous, brought it up to the doj and homeland security. and we have not heard a thing. if you remember, two months after arizona passed a law that actually mirrored other a lawsuit -- it mirrored federal law. here they are not doing anything. this is extraordinarily dangerous and contrary to federal law. bill: i know you alleged double standard as you pointed out. you are pushing for this initiative. we will see whether it becomes law and whether the feds take action. with the mayor contends is that there is a crime wave in chicago. we have watched this develop over the last few months. what he is suggesting is that as he proposes this ordinance, that illegal immigrants are much more encouraged to cooperate with police. now, that is what he has said. do you agree with that argument?

>> no, i don't. i believe in what mayor giuliani did when he was talking about the broken window problem. were you tackle the small issues and small crimes. that is going to seep into the culture. they are actually going to enforce all the bigger crimes as well. chicago does have a big crime problem and mike emanuel should be focusing on that and not letting people get off scott free and not cooperating with i.c.e. bill: we will see what comes of this. the city council in chicago will take of this ordinance a bit later in the month. thank you, ben quayle. republican from arizona with us from capitol hill. >> thank you. martha: the secretary of defense is now saying that the deadly conflict in syria is rapidly spinning out of control. that is backed up by so many of these images that we have seen. what can the international community do? what must the international community do? four-star general jack keane joins us with his take.

bill: and needles found in food on several delta flights. should the delta airline company brace for a lawsuit? >> on the flat side, it could've been a bad injury, orderly, but had i taken a big swallow swallow that, i would have a needle inside. that would be very concerning to me. why not try someplace different every morning? get two times the points on dining in restaurants with chase sapphire preferred.

good afternoon. chase sapphire. (push button tone) this is stacy from springfield. oh woah. hello? yes. i didn't realize i'd be talking to an actual person. you don't need to press "0," i'm here. reach a person, not a prompt whenever you call chase sapphire. martha: leon panetta is now calling for immediate action after a homicide bombing has reportedly killed two of the top syrian military officials, including the brother a law of the sherman act. secretary panetta says that escalating violence there is clear in terms of the evidence that the syrian president must be forced to step down.

>> violence has only gotten worse and the loss of life has only increased. which tells us that this is a situation that is rapidly spinning out of control. martha: retired four-star general jack keane is with us. one of the best people to ask these questions too. what is going on in syria? is the sixth lotion happen in a cabinet meeting. seems like this is that a new level in terms of where the rebels are willing to take this. clearly, it has to have a feeling like with backed into a corner. >> they had heard he shifted to some of the remote provinces. but the naming of the strategic decision to bring this to the capital. the pressure of the regime and gaining world attention, certainly killing these two government officials and even bashar al-assad's brother-in-law, is notorious, because he was the guy that was facilitating al qaeda into iraq.

make no mistake, the rebels are on the move here. i think bashar al-assad has some tough questions to deal with in terms of what he's going to do. he has weapons of mass instruction for one reason only. and that is to preserve the regime. the same reason why the iranians want a weapon of mass distraction. would use that to preserve his regime? i think most people that know him well would believe he would. that is a decision that is really in front of us. martha: he has to be looking at what happened to qadhafi ultimately. knowing that that kind of destiny to be in his future. that will make him feel, as you said, very honored at this point. what do we do as we look at the situation, when you have al qaeda involved with the rebels and assad clearly on the ropes? what could we and should we do? >> well, i think we have to recognize that are at times politically to use the united

nations has been relatively a failed strategy. russia and china have not been willing to cooperate in terms of enforcing sanctions and doing anything to stop the violence. i don't think we are going to make any new moves are. we have to establish a coalition in the region, i think. use turkey and saudi arabia and even israel has to be brought into it. you know what is going on in the defense ministry of israel right now with the potential use of chemical weapons. and what role they may play and what options on the table for them. you cannot rule out the fact that the israelis would do a military strike is opposed to weapons being used. their concern is not only the weapons being used in the impact on them, but in terms of the chemicals themselves. they are also concerned that they will get into the hands of hezbollah in lebanon once this becomes a chaotic situation, and also in the hands of al qaeda. we have set a stage of developing crisis, which involves the potential use of

chemical weapons in syria and also being expanded into the region and you have to bring in the regional players and you have to put on the table the potential for military action. martha: general jack keane, thank you so much. we will follow you every day. bill: a massive display of military might is taking place in the middle of the pacific ocean. the u.s. along with 20 countries gathering to participate in one of the world's largest naval exercises. adam housley is live in hawaii at pearl harbor. >> yes, we are here to support the war on terror, show the cooperation that exists here, and also just off the coast the massive exercise of the navy, rimpac. air operations from the uss

ethic. sailors and marines on board along with military personal in all countries like malaysia, canada, even tonga. >> we are here to help with the effort that america and canada. >> this is the world's largest maritime exercise with 22 nations and 42 ships, 200 aircraft and 25,000 people all taking part in the maneuver off the coast of hawaii. >> one of the operations here, it is basically an operation with where this goes in the ocean and the congo 50 miles an hour on the water, 20 miles an hour on land come and it can carry 60 tons of supplies and equipment. >> the ability of the countries within the region to bring their capabilities together benefits not only the united states, but the region as a whole. >> everybody does things a little differently and techniques that are different and the terminology and different procedures and

standards. some of these operations are complex. >> it is the complexity with a military buildup and increased pressure to respond to humanitarian humanitarian crises, it means that allies are more important than ever he meant we are building interoperability and the ability to work together. we are making lifelong friends. >> last week of june, and ends the first week of august and it is absolutely official. bill: adam housley, thank you. up early for us in hawaii at pearl harbor. martha: police are looking into how the needles got into that turkey sandwiches that were served aboard delta airlines flights. and the passengers have grounds to sue? i will give you one big us on that one. that is coming up with judge napolitano. bill: and a nasty tumble. how the driver ended up fallingu down an elevatornc shaft seafood, st $14.99.

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bill: questions today about the case of needles found in sandwiches on delta airlines flights that originated in amsterdam. there are criminal investigations underway and we have judge napolitano here to take a look at this. good morning to you. criminal investigations means what? based on what we know. >> it means that the fbi, in conjunction with foreign authorities will look to see who has the means and the opportunity to put these needles in the food. when you eat food, the provider of the food is what is called strictly liable, meaning that you are injured come you don't have to demonstrate how the needle got in there, but that

you got the food and the food interview. the police want to know how it got there. because somebody is either trying to injure strangers, or enter the food company, or enter the airlines, or injure international travel. bill: the company is gate gourmet. that is a big company. as it relates to delta, i think the food is made in amsterdam. >> right. bill: near the airport, and that originated there. what is the harm in the question of harm when it comes to comes to legalities? >> bahamas the invasion of your body with a foreign object and any mental or physical harm. the harm is also the emotional terror and fear, that some unknown ailment can cause you harm in the future. you have two causes of action before court. the other harm is, the big picture, this could be some intent to interfere with international transportation and that is why the federal bureau

of investigation is involved. bill: digestion of terrorism of sorts? >> it doesn't appear to be terrorism, it appears to be a crackpot or disgruntled employee of airliner who who company. because of having an international flight, the federal government is quite properly involved. bill: i think about the tylenol case in the 1980s. >> yes, the tylenol case was a case in which somebody was trying to kill innocent people or arm johnson & johnson because people did die. johnson & johnson is still out there. this is a minute, we have a crazy person on her hands come in this person needs to be found. i will tell you what this was not. this was not an accident. there are too many of these needles. the father-son comparison on two different flights. bill: how bizarre is that? that a father and son on separate flights, flying out of europe, and both that interest him much with a needle in a?

>> one was tempted to think that they were targeted. but it would be very difficult for the perpetrator to target them. there were hundreds, maybe thousands of sandwiches made. there is no way for the person with the needle and know who will get it. bill: i know you are not investigating, you are a judge. we appreciate the expertise. >> are you going to eat a turkey sandwich on your next flight? >> at the moment, no. martha: we have very close inspection. moving on, firefighters stage a rescue after it suv takes a four-story climb. look at this. we have an update for you on that. the drivers terrifying trip down elevator shaft and how we came away relatively unharmed do you see it ?

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drought problem across 22 states. missouri is among the hardest hit in that drought situation. tom vilsack will speak out about that at the white house at 12:30 at the briefing. bill: how did an suv plunk down an elevator shaft in a parking garage injuring two people? a parking attendant pulled car into the elevator on the fifth floor but the lift was not there, send the vehicle plummeting down to the first floor, crushing the roof of that car. the attendant and another person in the elevator at the time recovering at a hospital here in new york city. that will leave a mark, folks. martha: they are said to be doing just fine. bill: lucky. airbags, what? elevator supposed to be there are to the car. it is not. man!. martha: like something out of a bad movie. we hope they're recovering well. bill: that's right. martha: that's it for us today. elevators and escalators and

all kinds of crazy things happening on moving things. we're glad everyone is okay. that is the most important thing. bill: we're your reporters for all the ators out there. martha: "happening now" starts right now. thanks everybody. jenna: thank you, bill and martha. the president says if you have your own business you didn't build it. governor romney says the president wants americans to be ashamed of success. the obama cap said mr. romney is taking those comments out of context. the latest war of words in a nasty battle for the white house. jon: the violence in syria raging for more than a year now. authorities say that country is truly spinning out of control. a bomb killing the defense minister and the president assad's brother-in-law today as civilians leave the country. will the u.n. take action. jenna: the case of two missing cousins. the parents of one little girl say the girls may have been kidnapped. we'll talk live with lyric's

mom. it is all happing now. -- happing know. jon: begin with an eye on ohio. a critical battleground state in the race for the white house as everybody knows. good morning to you. i'm jon scott. jenna: hi, everybody, i'm jenna lee. fresh off the campaign stop in pennsylvania governor romney is in ohio on the second day of his swing through the rust belt. he is getting ready to hold a town hall in this very important state as jon mentioned. we've been talking a lot about it. check out these incredible statistics from our brain room. voters in ohio picked the winner in the last 12 presidential elections. that is roughly the last 50 years. and no republican has ever won the white house without the support of the buckeye state. plus in 2008, no state saw more visits from presidential candidates barack obama and john mccain than ohio. so it seems like we're on track for that again, doesn't it, jon?